Sucker-Mouth Catfish Found in West Champaran Raises Ecosystem Concerns

Fishermen found a fish identified as a Sucker-Mouth Catfish in Donwar Bara Nahar, Yogpatti, West Champaran district, Bihar, on 29 October 2026. Fisherman Munmun Chaudhary and others expressed concern after encountering the unfamiliar fish.

Origin and ecological concerns

Expert Abhishek described the fish as carnivorous, feeding on smaller fish as well as decaying meat and dead organisms. The species is considered harmful to Indian river ecosystems, and fishermen fear it could enter local ponds and threaten other fish.

Sucker-Mouth Catfish are native to the Amazon River basin and are imported for aquariums. They may be released into rivers or ponds when they grow too large for tanks; the fish may also reach Indian rivers from Nepal.

Important Facts for Exams

• Taxonomic family: Amazonian suckermouth catfishes are classified in the family Loricariidae.
• Accessory air breathing: In Pterygoplichthys, a modified, highly vascularised stomach acts as an accessory respiratory organ, enabling air breathing in oxygen-poor water.
• Nesting burrows: Some Pterygoplichthys species excavate nesting burrows in riverbanks; at high densities, these can destabilise banks and contribute to erosion.